I don’t want to be “in control of what (I’m) telling others about (me).” I don’t want to manipulate people by intentionally creating a false presentation. I want to be my authentic self and, if they don’t like me, then that’s the way it goes. I don’t have a need to be in control of how other people react to me and I dislike it when people try to tell me who they are instead of revealing themselves to me and allowing me to reach my own conclusions. I won’t deny others what I expect them to allow me.

This isn’t rigidity or laziness. I know how to manipulate people with my body language, and I have done it before. In a grad. school class that I took on substance abuse, I had a teacher who was more about getting affirmation from students than educating. I easily manipulated her by using my gaze so she would stop telling her inappropriate (purile and embarrassing, likely confidentiality breeching) stories about her clients. However, I will not misrepresent myself to be more likeable. If people don’t like me, then they don’t.